Iranian Ambassador to Germany summoned over attempted attack on Jewish community leader

OCTOBER 19, 2026 12:21Updated: OCTOBER 19, 2026 12:35The Iranian Ambassador to Germany was summoned over an attempted attack on Josef Schuster, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Chairman of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, the German Foreign Ministry announced on Monday."We do not tolerate attacks on Jewish life or on those who defend it, not anywhere, and certainly not in Germany," the ministry wrote on X/Twitter. "The malicious attempted attacks against Josef Schuster and Volker Beck will have legal consequences.""We condemn Iran’s activities in the strongest possible terms. We will not allow Iran to threaten our free society. The Iranian ambassador was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office today."The ministry added that it had previously advocated for the "masterminds behind Iranian assassination attempts worldwide" and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to be added to the European Union's terrorist list.Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)German court sentences two for plotting to kill leader of German Jewish communityThe summons comes four days after a German court handed two men prison sentences of up to 8-1/2 years for planning to kill Stchuster, saying one man had been steered by Iran's intelligence service.One man, previously identified as Danish national Ali S., was sentenced to eight years and six months for preparing an assassination and aggravated arson, judges ruled.The court said that in early 2025, S. was tasked with gathering information on Schuster and Beck. He was also instructed to spy on two Jewish grocers in Berlin, they added.Another man, previously named Afghan national Tawab M., was sentenced to four years and six months for his role in the plot.German federal prosecutors charged the two men with crimes in May.Reuters contributed to this report.Follow us on Google